Trunk-caster



(No Model.)

- J. LOOS.

- TRUNK OASTER.

No. 356,483. Patented Jan. 25, 1887.

WITNESSES INYBNTOR ATTORNEY 5 UNITED STATES PATENT @EErcE.

JOHN LOOS, OF FREEPORT, ILLINOIS.

TRUNK-CASTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 356,483, dated January 25, 1887.

Application filed August 92, 1885. Serial No. 175,060.

T 0. whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN Loos, a resident of Freeport, in the county of Stephenson-and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Trunk-Casters; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in trunkcasters, and is fully described and explained in the following specification and shown in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a bottom plan of my improved caster in working position; Fig. 2, a side ele-' vation of a caster, the bottom or cleat of the trunk being shown in dotted lines; Fig. 3', a longitudinal central section of a caster in position on a trunk, and Fig. 4 a bottomplan of a slightly-modified form of the casterattached to the corner of a trunk-bottom.

In these views, A is the ordinary trunkbottom, and B a strengtheningcleat fastened to the bottom, in any desired manner. 0 O are the lower and upper halves, respectively, of a two-part caster-case, the two parts being preferably fastened together by means of rivets H. Each of the parts 0 O" is a thin outwardly convex shell, preferably of sheet metal, and is provided with a plane flange extending outward from the edge of the convex port-ion. hen the two parts oft'he shell or case are fastened together, their flanges are in contact, and through both flanges are perforations for screws or nails D D. These shells, with their flanges, are formed from a plane sheet of metal at a single operation by means of anordinary stampingmachine, and their form is such as to adapt them especially to this method of manufacture. The angle at the junction of each shell with its flange is obtuse and rounded, and the curve of each shell is such that it can be stamped from ordinary sheet metal without danger of rupturing the material. In fact, the pressure exerted on the metal in stamping gives its surface a perfect finish, and renders it more satisfactory in practice than a similar-shell of (No model.)

cast metal. The stamped shell is at the same time cheaper and lighter than a cast one, as well as stronger, and on the whole I am able to make a better caster of this form for a given cost than is possible with any other form with which I am acquainted.

Within the case 0 0 lies a ball, G, preferably of chilled iron, whose upper surface rests against the inner surface of the plate or shell, 0, while a small part of its lower surface projects through a circular opening in the shell 0. The form of the shell 0 is such that only a single point on the upper surface of the ball G is in contact therewith, and the frictionsurfaces ofthe caster are thus reduced to a minimum.

The cleat B, to which the caster is fastened, is countersunk to receive the shell 0, the flange of said shell resting 011 the lower surface of the cleat and being fastened thereto. The cleat may of course be dispensed with, if desired, and the trunk-bottom countersunk; but the use of the cleat is preferable.

Fig. 4 shows a slightly different arrangement of the shell, the flanges being extended to overlap the edges of the bottom of the trunk at or near one of its corners. WVith this exception the casteris the same as that illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, 3.

The rivets H (shown in the drawings) may be dispensed with and the two shells G G be held together by. the screws or nails D D. This construction has the advantage of rendering the parts 0 O readily separable, whereby the ball G may be detached and exchanged in case of wear or breakage of any of the parts.

I am aware that ballcasters are already in common use, and I do not therefore claim, broadly, a caster involving the use of a ball instead of aroller. I believe it to be new, however, to combine with the ball a two-part shell whose upper part rests on the ball and has an inner concave surface whose curve has a greater radius. than that of the ball, so that the ball is only in contact therewith at a single point.

VVha-t I do claim as new; therefore, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The combination of the concavo convex I00 In testimony whereof have signed this specification in the presence of two subscrib- IO ing witnesses.

JOHN LOOS.

\Vitnesses:

LEONARD STosKoPF, MIQHAE STOSKOPF. 

